Video Games: A New Prescription

Video Game Perscription - Understood

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental, how the brain grows and develops, disorder (4). Over 6 million children in the United States were diagnosed with ADHD in 2016 (4). Children with ADHD possess a shorter attention span and often have more trouble controlling impulsive behaviors. There are two main traditional treatments for ADHD, medication or behavior therapy. But technology may offer another solution.

EndeavorRx is an FDA approved video game that can be prescribed by doctors as a treatment for ADHD. This treatment would be a newer and more flexible supplement to the traditional ADHD treatments. Doctors can prescribe playing the video game for a certain amount of time each day for children from 8 to 12 years old. But, while it has been shown to help treat ADHD, EndeavorRx currently cannot substitute for traditional treatments. The video game was created by a group of esteemed neuroscientists and game designers. The game was created using research from a University of California San Francisco study, looking to find the effect of a video game and cognitive control.

The game makes use of sensory stimuli and motor skills, to target the parts of the brain responsible for attention focus. While playing the video game, players must try to move their character around to avoid obstacles and finish courses. Completing different levels of game requires skills like flexibility and focus to partake in multiple tasks simultaneously. As the player progresses through the different levels of the game, the difficulty increases.

Use of EndeavorRx is aimed to make ADHD treatment easier and more enjoyable. From this video game, players could learn skills like hand-eye coordination, visual-spatial skills, strategy, problem-solving, prioritizing, planning, collaboration, and time management.

Overall, EndeavorRx has helped decrease the length of ADHD treatments and has been shown to be a favorite among families. While neuroscientists and developers are still working towards making the game into a standalone treatment, there is some time before that will happen.

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~ Edited by Christian Mueth

References:

1. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417841/fda-approves-video-game-based-ucsf-brain-research-adhd-therapy-kids
2. https://www.endeavorrx.com/
3. https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/adhd-and-video-games-is-there-a-link
4. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/index.html

This article was originally published at the Teach-Technology Organization, Inc. online technology blog. I volunteer as a tech blog writer at this organization, which is dedicated to bridging the gap between seniors and technology. You can read this article (and many more) at the Teach Technology site.